Rainiers Game Thread
I’ll admit it. This isn’t the most exciting of all AAA ball games. Hultzen pitched last night, and today it’s Hector Noesi (who was awful in his PCL debut). There are bright spots; Mike Carp’s still rehabbing, and Alex Liddi’s working on his contact skills and is one of the very few who didn’t play in last night’s 18-inning pitcher’s duel. No, Nick Franklin isn’t in the game. Wait, come back!
A AAA ballgame beats whatever else you were going to listen to/watch. So fire up MiLB gameday audio or MiLB.tv and check it out. The great Mike Curto’s on the call, getting the pipes ready for his 2012 M’s debut in a few days. It’s a gorgeous night, and we’ve got that Felix afterglow feeling.
1: Darren Ford (CF)
2: Luis Rodriguez (2B)
3: Mike Carp (1B)
4: Luis Jimenez (DH)
5: Alex Liddi (LF)
6: Trayvon Robinson (RF?)
7: Vinnie Catricala (3B)
8: Carlos Triunfel (SS)
9: Guillermo Quiroz (C)
SP: Hector Noesi
Gametime 7:05
They’re playing A’s affiliate Sacramento, by the way.
Noesi looks OK in the early-going. Just K’d A’s prospect Grant Green.
Hey Marc, when’s Curto getting the call to the big club??
Yeah, so Noesi’s still struggling. He’s given up 8 runs in the 4th, and it’s still going on. Just yielded a line-drive HR to Kila Ka’aihue. Curto notes that he’s probably going to have to take one for the team after the 18 inning game last night.
Gag –
He’s calling the Yankees series (on radio, I believe).
Whoa, Catricala throws one into the stands for an error. Just a weird concentration lapse; had lots of time.
He’s looked better at the plate, but, and I think I may be alone here, Liddi’s still the better 3b.`
Franklin was pretty terrible yesterday. I know some people were speculating he’d get a majors call up in September just for the experience,but unless he flips a switch and dominates, do you think his timeline should be more like McCutcheons (http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=9847&position=OF), in that he gets at least a full year of AAA under his belt, especially with the bit of backlash that the M’s supposedly “rush prospects” before they’re ready.
I don’t know if this is a reflection of me and following this stuff more closely than most or of an MLB team that pretty much sucks. But I recognize everyone in the lineup. Really, I don’t know what that says.
Does anyone know if Liddi is in left field because the team somehow really does believe he can learn to function out there, of if it’s just because they’ve got too many 3B/1B types already and don’t know what else to do with him?
I’ve been enjoying having a defensively competent major league outfield these last several weeks (sorry, Mr. Carp) and really, REALLY have no desire to see Liddi or the Fish out in left field ever again.
It’s hard to know what the team truly believes, but I doubt they think Liddi can be anything other than an emergency LF. If his bat was superior, they could put him in LF with justification, but his bat (after some glimmer of hope) has not advanced and his strikeout rate is still abhorrent (even in AAA).
Catricala is getting a look at 3B and Carp is rehabbing and playing 1B/DH, so it would explain why Liddi wasn’t at one of those positions for yesterday’s game, but his best defensive position appears to be 3B.
Someone will eventually break through and become a productive MLB 1B, but at this point, there is no way to know who that is going to be.